Avalon's Tale
by ethereal-bohemian-heathen
Summary: An age old tale, told from different sides of the Table
1. Morgan

This is what I hope will be the start of a series based on Marion Zimmer Bradley's depiction of the characters from Arthurian legend. Hope you enjoy it, more will come soon.

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Morgan stood on the balcony outside her chambers, high in a tower above Tintagel. Below her the stable hands and servants were rushing to and throw in the vast paved courtyard, eagerly awaiting the birth of the child. A maid knocked softly at the door, Morgan turned with a start, "Come", she called, closing the doors to the balcony behind her as she entered the room. The maid opened the door and curtseyed deeply to the Princess.  
  
"M'lady, your sister wishes you to meet with her in the Audience Chamber, would you like me to assist you with anything?" the nervous voice faltered, the maid, didn't like being around this particular sister at the best of times, so offering her help to Morgan was something that took a great deal of courage.  
"No thankyou, I'm quite capable of getting down to see Morgause on my own, tell her I'll be down presently." Morgan said as she planted herself on the bed, with a flick of her hand the maid vanished out the door, closing it softly behind her, the hurried footsteps on the stone ceased a few seconds later. Not many people came up to the uppermost tower, it was usually only frequented by Morgan, her sister and the occasional servant, and even then they only came when totally necessary.  
  
Morgan lay back on the bed amongst a pile of silk covered pillows, she left out a deep sigh, only to hear the screams of her mother from down in a lower chamber. She threw her fists down in disgust, and stood up. Making her way across the chamber she was careful to pick up a broach that sat on the dresser, "I think I had better return this to my darling sister", she thought with a sly smile. Morgan then turned and quietly glided across the floor behind the bed, which was set out from the wall, against the wall hung a deep burgundy and black tapestry, and as with all castles, behind it was a secret passage. Morgan opened the ancient oak door, and quickly slipped down the stairs. She emerged a few moments later, in Morgause's chamber, creeping out from behind a cupboard. Placing the broach on the dresser Morgan stopped to fix her long black hair in her sister's looking glass, after checking herself one more time, she gently lent forward, and kissed the reflection, leaving a dark mulberry stain in the shape of her lips on the cold glass.  
In a flash she was gone.  
  
Morgause sat in her Mother's throne in the Main Audience Chamber of the castle, even in there she could hear the blood curdling cries of the Queen Igraine, she had been in labour for hours, but the child she was bearing refused to leave the safety of her womb. The guard suddenly opened the door and in a burst of red and black Morgan came into the room.  
  
"Ahh, my dearest sister, I'm glad you could take time out of your busy life to speak with me", Morgause said with a gentle smile, beckoning Morgan to join her on the dais. "Yes well, I had to get away from my chamber, the screams were echoing terribly though the corridors. Is there nothing we can do for her, the noise is driving me to insanity." Morgan replied with a light-hearted tone, she never much cared for the troubles of others, so the anguish her mother was facing didn't really concern her.  
"Well no, not really. But I have asked you here for a different reason. I have found out who the Father of this child is. And before you say anything, it is not the father we thought it was." Morgause smile brightly, she was pleased with her discovery,  
Morgan, who was seated in the King's throne, was studying her hands, she simply groaned. Morgause continued.  
"A man left a message for me with the gate keepers this morn, it detailed exactly what happened the night our father was murdered, and who sent that Uther in his guise", the princess said in hushed tones, Morgan looked at her eyes, " It was Merlin." Morgan jumped out of the throne.  
"What!" She cried. " You mean to tell me, that Uther Pendragon is the child's father? And that old Druid Merlin arranged it all and let our father be slaughtered?" She tore at her hair, never in her life had she been so infuriated. Never, had she felt so betrayed.  
"A Druid should know better then to allow murderers king or no into the palace of, and to let him take the wife of his most trusted Vassel by force. I'll kill that child, I'll kill it for what it has done to our family." Morgan paced the chamber tearing at her hair and face with cat like claws.  
"Sister, you can't do that, Uther is High King of Briton, and besides, the child has done nothing wrong, you cannot blame human error on a child that as yet has not been born..." The doors to the chamber flew open at that moment, in the doorway stood one of the Queen's maids, her hair was matted and gown covered in blood.  
"It's a boy," she cried, "a blond haired blue eyed boy. A Prince, a Prince for Cornwall!!" The maid gathered up her skirts and ran towards the Princesses, "Come m'ladies, come and see your new brother". Morgause and Morgan looked at each other, the rage still flaming in Morgan's eyes.  
"Come, come Morgie, let us see him, who knows, all may yet turn out for the best." Morgause stepped down off the dais, and followed behind the maid who was already leading out the door.  
Morgan stared at her sister's back, and slowly fell into step behind her. They reached the Queens Chamber's, Morgause knelt down beside the bed. She placed her hand on top of her Mother's, the Queen smiled a weak smile, her face, hair and body were damp with sweat, it had been a long birth.  
Morgan was handed the child, at first she didn't know where to drop it, or to kiss it, either way, these were to be the first and for many years, the last time she showed any signs of love towards the tiny infant. "I shall name him Arthur, the bear." Whispered the Queen, Morgause stood up and looked over her sister's shoulder at the baby. She smiled. Morgan's face however stayed pained as it always was. She planted a hard kiss on the baby's forehead, leaving another mulberry stain.  
"I swear, this child will mean nothing and everything to me, I will never forget the fate you dealt on us Merlin. This child may be safe from me for now, but just wait, one day, I'll ruin your life too Arthur, just remember, We share a mother, but, you will never be rid of me. I will destroy you and everything you ever hope for, all your dreams will fail. I promise you that."  
  
Morgan thrust the baby into Morgause's arm's and fled from the room. She ran up the stairs, to her chamber, bolted the door, and opened a chest under the window. She pulled out that book's she had been saving up, the potions and manuscripts of ancient pagan incantations. On that day when Arthur was born, Morgan's heart turned black, and she spent the rest of her life, locked away practising her dark magic, waiting for the time when she was powerful enough to use it, and use it she did.....


	2. Arthur

Chapter 2 of my little Arthurian tale..._

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_I never knew my mother, she died giving birth to me. Kay, my brother remembers little of her, he says she had blond hair like ours, bright green eyes, and a dazzling smile. Father rarely mentions her, I think her death still weighs heavily on his heart. He blamed the physicians, and had them thrown in the dungeons after my birth. Once he openly spoke of her, although not to me but to an old man with a white beard and a walking stick. The man, Merlin, came to see me on my tenth birthday, six years ago. Father was telling him all about what I had been doing, what I wanted to do, and strangely, what would happen if "She" found me. I still do not know who "she" was or is, no -one would tell me so all I know is what I heard that night when I hid behind a secret door which led into my fathers outer bed chamber. _

_A message came for me today, although I have not been allowed to read it yet, Father snatched it from the messengers hand and took it to his chamber. The entire house is in a state of unrest. Maids are running to and throw with clothes and armour and other various things. The banners which bear our Crest, the ones we use for tournaments have been hung from the balconies to air, even the great banner poles are being polished. The only thing wrong with this, is I don't know what is happening. No one (as usual) will tell me what is happening. Kay is with Father now, being issued instructions I suppose. I wish I could hear what he is saying, an oak door only leaks so much murmuring. Kay has been dismissed, I heard the oak door slam, Father does not usually slam doors, even when he has the foulest of tempers, something has gone wrong. _

_Perhaps we have been summonsed to Caerlon - maybe the King in danger and needs our support. Sir Ector has always been the first to ready himself for battle, my Father jumps at every opportunity to brandish a sword, especially against myself. He always said I had the strength of five boys my age, and I beat him every time we fought in our mock- battles. Kay would often sit aside and watch, even though he enjoyed a chance to knock Father to the ground, lately he would let me have all the glory, he said it would help me in the future, but I never understood what he meant by that..._

Sir Ector had been dreading this message for the last six years. It had come from Avalon, the sacred stronghold of the Old Religion, and home to Merlin and the Lady of the Lake, Vivian, Arthur's Aunt. The day he was born, Merlin had entrusted the life of the boy to Ector, a close friend and ally of the then King Uther Pendragon. The small blond hair child was the Kings only son and heir, but for the safety of both himself and his mother Igraine, had been taken from Caerlon and into hiding until the time was right. Now, with Uther lying on his death bed, England needed a King before the Saxon's had a chance to invade and take control of all Britain. Only Ector, Merlin and Vivian knew that Arthur could do this. The boy had been raised as another son to Ector and his wife who died shortly after Arthur came to stay.

Neither Kay, Arthur, nor any one else in the castle knew who he really was, until a bearded man came late one winters night. Merlin, the wizard, sorcerer, conjurer, keeper of the Old Faith, friendto all, enemy to no one, delivered to Ector a letter, which he kept safe for years until a woman cloaked in dark blue bearing the mark of a fighting dragon came to his door, and presented Ector with the remaining part of the letter. In it detailed how Arthur came into being, and what he must do to claim his rightful place as the one true King of all Britains.

Though it pained him to have to tell his foster son of his true heritage, Ector could not help but wonder what part he was playing - he had raided the boy, loved him, taught him everything he knows and yet hadn't told him the truth. Arthur had spent his entire life living a lie, would he ever be forgiven for keeping it from him?

And what of Kay, the brother that Arthur had looked up to, aspired to be, followed like a shadow since the day he could walk, now Kay knew the truth, how would he react to the news that his brother is not his own, and is instead the heir to the throne of Britain? Only time would tell.


	3. Viviane

As darkness fell over the marshes and the maidens made their way to the main halls, Vivian stood on the balcony of her quarters staring into the sunset. The day was ending, with it the pain that came with loosing a loved one, but also the uncertainty of what tomorrows new day would bring. For all the years she had been the Lady of Avalon, Vivian had never expected her own demise to come about the way it had. The events that had unfolded during the past month, the battle between Uther, the King, and Vortigan's invading armies, the reappearance of the Druids to Avalons shores, the dreaded Christian monks on the neighboring islands and of course – Morgan. No one, not even the Lady herself had foreseen the darkness that followed that woman on her every path through life.

A soft tap on the door brought Viviane back from her visions. "Enter", she called softly, closing the shutters and drawing the curtains across, blocking the dying sunlights red rays. Anya – a young novice and one of Vivians house attendants came in and placed a tray on the small table in front of the fireplace.

"I've brought you some supper My Lady," she said softly, curtsying briefly to the Lady. "Thank you my dear, Viviane replied, taking a seat on a low stool by the fire. "Would you please return those books by the window to the library, and see to my horse? I shall be leaving with Merlin in the morning." She sipped at the herb tea on the tray.

"Yes Milady, shall I have Gianna pack for the journey?" Anya asked collecting the books before heading to the door.

"That won't be necessary, I shall do it myself, I have many things I need to prepare before leaving. No more interruptions if you please, I will need some solitude." Viviane was gazing out the window, again at the last of the dying rays of sun.

"Certainly, good night Lady." Anya quietly slipped out the door, closing it softly behind her. As the echoes of her footsteps down the staircase faded, Vivian finished her tea and began pacing the small room, reciting a mental list of things she needed to collect before leaving in the morning.

Merlin lay in the darkness on a bed of straw and animal hides, eyes closed but not yet sleeping. Like Viviane, he possessed the gift of foresight and the ability to read the future. However, this was not a power he readily used. _The world should be left to follow its course, not interrupted by the misconceptions and fears of man_ – one of the many philosophies developed over generations of existence. Throughout his many manifestations, not all of which are notable, Merlin had had a constant desire in life – to fulfill the Prophecy and bring order from the chaos that had taken over the world. The origins of this and the direction his search for the answer however, has been something of a mystery to those who follow his ways. Except for Viviane.

Cullum


End file.
